Convertible trunk



AUGUSTUS W. NEWELL, OF BRADFORD, PENNSYLVANIA.

CONVERTIBLE TRUNK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 494,590, dated April 4, 1893.

Application filed October 24, 1892. serial No. 449,870. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, AUGUSTUS W. NEWELL, of Bradford, in the county of McKe-an and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Convertible Trunks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in.

convertible trunks, and it consists in the construction and combination of parts which will be fully described hereinafter and particularly referred to in the claims.

The object of my invention is to construct a trunk of three parts, the two upper parts being of unequal length for a purpose to be set forth in the specification, and each of the said parts of the same depth to rest upon the floor when unfolded, and to provide each part of the trunk with a reversible tray which has a woven wire spring, or other suitable material, whereby when the trunk is opened a bed is formed by reversing the position of the trays, and which woven wire fabric forms a bottom for the tray when the trunk is in use as a trunk.

In the accompanying drawings:Figure 1' is a side elevation of a convertible trunk which embodies my invention, the same being closed for transportation. Fig. 2 is an end View of the same. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of my trunk showing it unfolded or opened out and being used as atrunk. Fig. 4 is a sectional view of Fig. 3, except that the positions of the trays are reversed to have their woven wire bottoms form a suitable surface upon which to rest the body.

A represents the bottom proper of the trunk. The top of the trunk is formed of two parts B and C, the former of which is made much longer than the latter. Each of these parts B and (J, is hinged at its end to the end of the bottom A by means of suitable hinges a, whereby the said top pieces can be opened out from the bottom as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. It will be noticed that the top and bottom parts of the trunk are of the same depth, or height, so that when the top pieces B and O are opened out as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, their top edges (when the trunk is closed) will rest upon the floor, and thus support them.

The trays I are placed in the several parts of the trunk, and are supported in the ordinary manner. These trays will be made stronger than the usual trays if found necessary, and the bottoms of said trays are covered with a wire woven spring like that usually used for bedsteads. Now by reversing the trays after the trunk is opened out, as shown in Fig. 4, the wire bottom of the trays in the bottom A, and the part B, form a comfortable support for the body, while the bottom of the short part 0, is made concave when the tray is in its normal position, so that when it too is reversed, it forms a good pillow for the head, as will be seen.

When the trunk is being used as a trunk, the part G, forms a hat box, While the other trays are used in the ordinary manner. From this it will be seen that while the trunk is capable of being converted into a bed or cot, the arrangement does not affect the appearance of the trunk when closed appreciably, nor does the arrangementinterfere in any manner with the effective use of the trunk as a trunk, nor does the arrangement take any more room than the trays of an ordinary trunk.

By making all parts of the trunk, both the bottom and top parts, of the same depth, no legs or other arrangement is necessary to support the top parts of the trunk when they are opened out to convert it into a bed, for they rest directly upon the floor.

By means of the above described construction, I have produced a trunk which is very simple in construction, and which can be readily and quickly converted into a bed or cot.

The object of making the part 0 short, is to have it form a pillow, and have the long bottom part about the length of the body, while the limbs of the person will rest upon the part B. Owing to this arrangement, if desired the woven wire bottom of the part B may be omitted, as a rest for the limbs, while the body of the person will rest comfortably upon the woven wire bottom of the tray to the part A.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 3. A convertible trunk comprising an upper and lower portion, the upper portion made in two parts with their ends hinged to the ends of the lower portion, and reversible trays for the parts, the trays having woven wire bottoms as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

AUGUSTUS V. NEWELL.

Vitnesses:

GUsTINE CABLE, O. M. GAGE. 

